With each day after the shooting, there is less and less doubt that Jared Lee Loughner, the attacker, will not be responsible for the tragedy due to his mental health problems. The question remains: then who is responsible? Russia Blog has written a lot about attacks on mayors and members of parliament in Russia, and about the negative effects of too many cars with blue lights and individuals with bodyguards in major cities. However, two clarifications should be made: first, all attacks on officials happened in non-public places and have been related to their personal business and criminal activities; and second, any significant government official in Russia is protected. Furthermore, the general public attending an event with such official is well-protected as well.
It is mind-blowing to see Prima County's Sheriff Clarence Dupnik give interviews, share opinions, and walk as a free man. If nothing else, he should be fired for a complete, disastrous failure to do his job - provide community's safety. Furthermore, he should be tried in court for "malpractice" on the job that led to one of the greatest tragedies in recent American history.
Why is he still a sheriff if his team can't spot a man who pulls out a gun in broad daylight and targets a judge and a congresswoman near a Safeway?
On another note: Secret Service and FBI should take a note: no matter how perfect the system of checks and balances is, there is always room for an error that eventually allows a crazy person obtain a weapon and ammo and shoot a judge, a congresswoman, and innocent bystanders. The only way to avoid such a tragedy is to control the situation itself and provide the necessary security at public events that involve government officials. It is appalling to see a political debate around this tragedy - this isn't about Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, the Liberals, or the Republicans. First of all, this is about the victims, and there is nothing we can do about it now but pray for their recovery or souls. And second - this is a lesson for American security and law enforcement services how to properly provide the public safety. I hope this lesson has been learned, even if--unfortunately-- the hard way.
Russia Blog's condolences go to the friends and families of Arizona victims.
I wish Mr. Mamchur actually knew something about US politics, government, and culture before he started calling for heads to roll. US Representatives rarely travel with police escort, even inside Washington, DC - almost never outside it. It wasn't the sheriff's responsibility - or that of the FBI or the Secret Service. An obviously insane person, with a known history of mental unbalance, legally obtained his weapon and his ammunition. The only thing he needed, most likely, was the money and an Arizona driver's license. Creating laws regarding weapons access isn't the province of the police function, but of the executive, legislature, and the judicial branches of US government. Just to let you know exactly how messed up my country is, this situation will not change any time soon because roughly 10% of the population wants it to stay the same. This kind of shooting will happen again and again, and not so far in the future. Something like this happens in the US every month, it seems like. Sometimes, when there are either a lot of victims or prominent victims, news organizations actually bother to report it. If President Obama were to speak at every occasion, he'd have no time to sign bills.
I have remarked countless teabag-slash-conservative comments give the impression that they are more focused on lashing out than what happened and who died and if violence might come to pass once more. Annoying... but not so astounding. Anyone who is so resolute to use their time in leveling insults might have a weakness concerning of being derided themselves. Panic is a awesome motivator, and is likely to provoke citizens in another direction from thinking about solutions. It is harder to herd a population to a way of thought. Tea party intelligence sees only that which it does not have a preference for instead than what it does, unless it is executed while engaged in the modus of inciting the opposition.
I enjoy this blog - but this is a post that I do not agree with. I do believe that our officials in Congress should get some extra protection - but not Presidential-style protection.
Our congressmen and women are representing the people (or at least they should be), this means that they cannot be guarded all the time by the secret service (or an alternative) - instead they should be close with the people whom they represent in the government.
I think every elected official in the United States realizes that when they run for an office of government, there are risks involved. There are going to be mentally-disturbed people in the world, no matter what country you live in and no matter what laws are pressed on controlling weapons, etc.
I do believe that the Tea Party and all of those crazies did have a part to play in this tragedy. Watch Glenn Beck for a few nights - and you might understand how a mentally-disturbed person might believe that his government is taking control of everything and therefore he must get his guns and go do something about it. And - we cannot ignore Sarah Palin's 'map'...I believe that she should pay for something like that with, hmm I don't know...less coverage by the media?
And then I come to my final gripe - the media. These idiots (the media) help make things worse by making Americans everything think that if they are Republican they need to hate Democrats and if they are Democratic they need to hate Republicans...so I believe they had a lot to play in this ordeal for most likely corrupting this guy's mind from the very beginning.
So, I feel for the families and I hope Congresswoman Giffords gets better, but we as Americans really do need to have a look at our laws. And, while I believe increased security at these events would be the wrong thing - I do think we need to take a better look at our gun control laws and we also need to find out how a guy like this, with all the warning signs he showed, was able to get ahold of a gun and ammunition. When people show these warning signs - they need to be taken care of. Also, I'm not saying "take away guns" - I'm saying: Who in the hell needs a 30-round clip? You ain't going to be hunting animals with that amount of ammunition. 30-round clips says: I'm going to war.
Why is he still a sheriff if his team can't spot a man who pulls out a gun in broad daylight and targets a judge and a congresswoman near a Safeway?
I not given answer to that!
I have remarked countless teabag-slash-conservative comments give the impression that they are more focused on lashing out than what happened and who died and if violence might come to pass once more.
When you're health insurance bill goes through the roof in a place where gun ownership is sacred...you find out real quick and too late that they aren't representing you...they represent the NAU.
I, like most Americans, am deeply saddened by tragedy in Arizona.
But, I'm absolutely enraged that the blame is NOT being placed where it truly belongs: on Mr. Loughner.